Members of the Women’s Land Army had a lucky escape when fire ravaged their hostel.

Several girls had to jump from the windows and 17 escaped in their night clothes as flames swept through the snow-covered building called Goodfellows at Filkins, near Witney, in February 1947.

One newspaper reported: “Girls on the roof were rescued by firemen and some had to walk in the snow without shoes.

READ MORE: Tree felling backlash

“Villagers found accommodation for them for the remainder of the night and lent clothes. Many girls lost most of their belongings.”

Goodfellows was a moated grange, enlarged and renovated by Sir Stafford Cripps, the famous British politician, barrister and diplomat.

It was requisitioned during the First World War as a Women’s Land Army hostel.

The picture comes from retired fireman and Memory Lane reader Bill Law.

Help support trusted local news 

Sign up for a digital subscription now: oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe 

As a digital subscriber you will get: 

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website 
  • Advert-light access 
  • Reader rewards 
  • Full access to our app 

About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.